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American Apparel ad Banned due to Over-Sexualised Content

September 4, 2014

After Dov Charney’s firing by American Apparel‘s board of Directors and its sequel, anyone could think that the brand would be determined to change and that provocation would not be a part of its ads and campaigns. Yet, ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) banned the two photos of AA’s new campaign, “Back To School” and “School Days” in Britain.

And this is why they depict two girls in an over-sexualized way. Two girls that have bended over, have their backside photographed, while their underwear can be seen. The brand claims that none of the them is as young as it is implied (one of them is supposed to be 30 years old), and that they are not depicted in a negative or exploitative way. Nevertheless, the photos were removed from the company’s website and social media pages.

ASA also advised American Apparel to “ensure its future advertising was prepared with a sense of responsibility to consumers and to society and contained nothing to cause serious or widespread offense”. Earlier this year, the campaign “Made in Bangladesh”, showing a topless Muslim employee, has been also banned, while six ads of American Apparel have been banned during the last 2,5 years for the same reason.